<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?> <?xml-stylesheet type="text/xsl" href="/rss20.xsl" media="screen"?> <rss xmlns:itunes="http://www.itunes.com/dtds/podcast-1.0.dtd" version="2.0"> <channel> <title>Bryan Thompson :: Blogged - year-in_review</title> <description>happily sharing useless opinions to strangers since March 2005</description> <link>http://emergingpilgrim.blogspirit.com/year-in_review/</link> <lastBuildDate>Fri,  5 Sep 2008 19:44:25 +0000</lastBuildDate> <generator>blogSpirit.com</generator> <copyright>All Rights Reserved</copyright>  <item> <guid isPermaLink="true">http://emergingpilgrim.blogspirit.com/archive/2006/01/02/my-top-5-favorite-posts-of-2005.html</guid> <title>My Top 5 Posts of 2005</title> <link>http://emergingpilgrim.blogspirit.com/archive/2006/01/02/my-top-5-favorite-posts-of-2005.html</link> <author>noreply@blogspirit.com (Bryan Thompson)</author>   <category>Year-In Review</category>   <pubDate>Mon,  2 Jan 2006 01:10:00 +0000</pubDate> <description> &lt;p&gt;I didn't have a chance for a long update last night (12/31/2005), so I decided to post my top five favorite posts of 2005. There's some serious posts and some not so serious. By the way, I've noticed there aren't any comments lately. I realize this may be due in large part to the fact that I went two months without updating, and for that I apologize, but COME ON, PEOPLE! I'm back online now. And reread #1 (the order of the posts are according to my favorites) if you need to be reminded of the purpose of blogging.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;And now...THE TOP FIVE POSTS OF 2005&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;5. &lt;a href=&quot;http://emergingpilgrim.blogspirit.com/archive/2005/09/15/worship-and-performance.html&quot; class=&quot;undefined&quot;&gt;WORSHIP AND PERFORMANCE (9/15/2005)&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;4. &lt;a href=&quot;http://emergingpilgrim.blogspirit.com/archive/2005/09/06/eyes-and-ears.html&quot; class=&quot;undefined&quot;&gt;I'M AN IMPERFECT FATHER (9/6/2005)&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;3. &lt;a href=&quot;http://emergingpilgrim.blogspirit.com/archive/2005/09/21/i-m-running-for-president.html&quot; class=&quot;undefined&quot;&gt;I'M RUNNING FOR PRESIDENT (9/21/2005)&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;2. &lt;a href=&quot;http://emergingpilgrim.blogspirit.com/archive/2005/08/25/on-being-pentecostal-charismatic.html&quot; class=&quot;undefined&quot;&gt;ON BEING PENTECOSTAl/CHARISMATIC (8/25/2005)&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;1. &lt;a href=&quot;http://emergingpilgrim.blogspirit.com/archive/2005/08/25/i-m-a-failed-blogger.html&quot; class=&quot;undefined&quot;&gt;I'M A FAILED BLOGGER (8/25/2005)&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;Next year this time will see many more posts. Promise. Now comment, people!&lt;/p&gt; </description>  </item>  <item> <guid isPermaLink="true">http://emergingpilgrim.blogspirit.com/archive/2005/12/30/2005-year-in-review.html</guid> <title>2005 YEAR-IN REVIEW</title> <link>http://emergingpilgrim.blogspirit.com/archive/2005/12/30/2005-year-in-review.html</link> <author>noreply@blogspirit.com (Bryan Thompson)</author>   <category>Year-In Review</category>   <pubDate>Fri, 30 Dec 2005 04:20:00 +0000</pubDate> <description> &lt;p&gt;And oh, what a life-changing event 2005 has been. Let's just look back on the major roller-coaster that has been 2005 (that's four cities and three - count 'em - states I've lived in just this year).&amp;nbsp;Let's review:&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;font color=&quot;#FF6600&quot;&gt;January 1-16&amp;nbsp;-&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; Started out youth pastoring in &lt;em&gt;Bartlesville, OK&lt;/em&gt;. Such peaceful times.&lt;br /&gt; &lt;strong&gt;&lt;font color=&quot;#FF6600&quot;&gt;January 17 -&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; Accepted youth pastor position in &lt;em&gt;OKC&lt;/em&gt;. Moved pregnant wife. Very naive at this time, and unfortunately a little arrogant.&lt;br /&gt; &lt;strong&gt;&lt;font color=&quot;#FF6600&quot;&gt;February - March -&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; Work load is huge. No signs of relief. A few parents don't like me very much. About to get blindsided.&lt;br /&gt; &lt;strong&gt;&lt;font color=&quot;#FF6600&quot;&gt;March 16 -&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; The bottom falls out! Fired in &lt;em&gt;OKC&lt;/em&gt; and given 4 months of severance. Life is now getting confusing.&lt;br /&gt; &lt;font color=&quot;#FF6600&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;March 17 - May 23 -&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/font&gt; Looking for youth pastor jobs all over the country. Interviewed at churches in &lt;em&gt;Bloomington, IL;&lt;/em&gt;&amp;nbsp;&lt;em&gt;Appleton, WI&lt;/em&gt;; &lt;em&gt;Lubbock, TX&lt;/em&gt;; &lt;em&gt;Jacksonville, FL; Minneapolis, MN;&lt;/em&gt; and &lt;em&gt;Fort Worth, TX&lt;/em&gt;. None of those worked out. Thought about becoming a professional interviewer.&amp;nbsp;Maybe I'm missing my calling. Life just keeps getting confusing. Why on earth did I leave Bartlesville? In the words of Napoleon Dynamite, &quot;You IDIOT!&quot;&lt;br /&gt; &lt;strong&gt;&lt;font color=&quot;#FF6600&quot;&gt;May 24 -&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; My beautiful daughter is born, changing my life and my sleep habits forever! Life JUST GOT INTERESTING!&lt;br /&gt; &lt;strong&gt;&lt;font color=&quot;#FF6600&quot;&gt;May 25, 26, and 27 -&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; Oh my gosh! I'm a father! What the heck have I gotten myself into? I can't bring this baby all the way up to adulthood! And I can't sleep!&lt;br /&gt; &lt;strong&gt;&lt;font color=&quot;#FF6600&quot;&gt;May 28 -&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; Quit whining and learned that I love being a dad. But, I still am jobless!&lt;br /&gt; &lt;strong&gt;&lt;font color=&quot;#FF6600&quot;&gt;May 29 - June 23 -&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; Finally gave up the youth pastor search when I'd&amp;nbsp;interviewed with&amp;nbsp;a psycho church in the &lt;em&gt;OKC area&lt;/em&gt;. Just wasn't worth it anymore.&lt;br /&gt; &lt;strong&gt;&lt;font color=&quot;#FF6600&quot;&gt;June 24 -&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; Moved the family in with my folks in &lt;em&gt;Florida&lt;/em&gt;, an hour from my hometown of &lt;em&gt;Panama City&lt;/em&gt;. Got a job in &lt;font color=&quot;#FF6600&quot;&gt;Human Resources&lt;/font&gt; with &lt;a class=&quot;undefined&quot; href=&quot;http://www.salliemae.com/&quot;&gt;Sallie Mae, Inc.&lt;/a&gt;, America's #1 student loan company.&lt;br /&gt; &lt;strong&gt;&lt;font color=&quot;#FF6600&quot;&gt;June 25 - September -&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; Learned I had quite a knack for business and consulting. Helped lots of people move up in the company and enhanced my resume.&lt;br /&gt; &lt;strong&gt;&lt;font color=&quot;#FF6600&quot;&gt;October - November -&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; Seasonal employment with SallieMae, Inc. ends. Take my HR skills to the &lt;a class=&quot;undefined&quot; href=&quot;http://www.dc.state.fl.us/&quot;&gt;Florida Department of Corrections Region 1 Office&lt;/a&gt; where a bunch of weird government stuff was going on. (No kidding, read about it &lt;a class=&quot;undefined&quot; href=&quot;http://www.sptimes.com/2005/09/16/State/New_troubles_plague_e.shtml&quot;&gt;here&lt;/a&gt;.)&lt;br /&gt; &lt;strong&gt;&lt;font color=&quot;#FF6600&quot;&gt;November - December -&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/strong&gt; Finally moved back to the Midwest, out here in the Vatican of the Assemblies of God and Southern Baptists.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;Wow, what a complicated mess my taxes are going to be this year!&lt;/p&gt; </description>  </item>  </channel> </rss> 